Perth taxi driver jailed for sexually assaulting sleeping passenger

A Perth taxi driver has been jailed for sexually assaulting a female passenger who fell asleep while he was driving her home.

The offence happened in December 2007, but Mohamed Rashad Abdul Raheem was not charged until the case was reviewed using new DNA technology two years ago.

He denied the allegation, but was found guilty by a jury after a trial in the District Court.

The woman, who was 18 at the time, had been socialising with friends in the city in the week before Christmas 2007, when she flagged down Abdul Raheem’s taxi in the early hours of the morning to take her home.

She was tired and fell asleep, but woke to find her dress pulled up to her waist and Abdul Raheem sexually assaulting her.

Driver breached obligation

The court heard the offence lasted only a “matter of seconds” and the woman didn’t say anything at the time because she was “scared and fearful” of what Abdul Raheem might to do.

She later reported the matter to police.

Judge Julie Wager said Abdul Raheem had breached his obligation as a taxi driver to take customers home safely.

“You took advantage of a vulnerable young woman and offended against her,” the judge told the 45-year-old father of three.

“Young women need to know if they catch a taxi home they will not be violated.”

Abdul Raheem’s lawyer, Simon Freitag, had suggested his client could receive a suspended jail term, describing him as an otherwise “hardworking, good husband and father, and contributing member of society” who had not offended before and would not offend again.

Judge Wager accepted that Abdul Rheem was otherwise of impeccable character, but said she could not suspend the term.

“People need to know that if taxi drivers offend in this way there will be repercussions and that is an immediate term of imprisonment,” she said.

In sentencing Abdul Raheem to 16 months’ jail, Judge Wager said she had shown “a degree of mercy” because of the burden and distress the jail term would cause his family.

Abdul Raheem will have to serve eight months before he can be released on parole.

District Court Judge Stephen Scott has sentenced Atkinson to 15 years’ jail. He made Atkinson eligible for parole after 13 years & imposed violence restraining order which prevents him from going near the victims.

Black has been sentenced in Bunbury District Court by Judge Kevin Sleight, to a total of seven years and six months imprisonment. Judge Sleight discounted Black’s prison term by 25 per cent because of his early guilty pleas, which meant his victims had not had to testify. His sentence was backdated to December 12, 2016, which is when he declined to apply for bail, and instead remained in custody. He was made eligible for parole after five-and-a-half years.

Bunbury man, 72, pleads guilty to a total of 15 counts of child sex abuse

Ivy James

10 Oct 2016, 11:47 a.m.

A pedophile who has admitted to sexually abusing seven children between 1986 and 1993 will be sentenced in December after pleading guilty to 15 charges of indecent dealings.

On September 29, 72-year-old Clive William Black pleaded guilty to 14 counts of indecent dealings with six girls aged between eight and 14 between 1986 and 1993.

Black fronted Bunbury Magistrates Court again on Monday where he pleaded guilty to one further count of indecent dealing of a child under 14 years between June-December 1989, after a seventh victim came forward.

Police allege Black indecently assaulted three girls who were known to him through their parents, between 1986 and 1993. The girls were aged from eight to 14 at the time of the offences.

Black was also further charged with two counts of indecent treatment for assaulting a six-year-old, known to him through her parents, between 1990 and 1993.